Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	power_n	sin_n	soul_n	8,033	5	5.1401	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90861	Innocencie appearing, through the dark mists of pretended guilt. Or, A full and true narration of the unjust and illegal proceedings of the commissioners of Berks, (for ejecting scandalous and insufficient ministers) against John Pordage of Bradfield in the same county. In which he is justly vindicated from the unjust and horrid aspersions of blasphemy, divelism or necromancie, scandal in his life, and all things else falsly objected against him by his enemies. Published for the clearing of truth, and the detecting of malice and subtilty, and for the prevention of all mispprehensions that may be caused by any scandalous pamphlets, and false relations of the proceedings in his case. As likewise for the information of all sober-minded Christians touching his judgement in many things of high concernment, and particularly concerning chastity, virginity, apparitions of spirits, visions, communion with the holy angels, the invisible worlds, magistracy, &c. / Written by the said John Pordage.	Pordage, John, 1607-1681.	1655 (1655)	Wing P2967; Thomason E1068_7; ESTC R210422	152,492	125

single eye of thy glory All things within and without stand naked and unvailed before thee being more then transparent to thy all-discerning sight I therefore appeal from mans day Iudgement and condemning Sentence to thy day Iudgement and acquitting voice from mans dark erroneous sight to thy penetrating clear all-seeing eye Thou knowest I am not guilty of these Blasphemies and horrid things laid to my charge Thou knowest that my solemn protestation is from the sincerity of my heart Thou knowest that it never entred into the intention of my soul to deny the holy Trinity or the Godhead of Christ whom I own to be God coequal and coeternal with the Father Thou knowest I am not guilty of holding that Christ was not perfect or that his righteousness is not a fruitfull powerfull everlasting righteousness or that his bloud is not cleansing meriting reconciling bloud Thou seest how my innocency in reference to these things is overshadowed with the dark clouds of false aspersions and undue accusations Othou bright Eye of Divine Glory dost not thou see and behold the innocent sufferings of my person name Estate and Family for thy sake Dost not thou know that I have been oft cast into the Den of Lyons and into the fiery Furnace of wrath and envy for thy names sake O gracious God how oft have I been reviled numbred amongst transgressors made as a scorn and odium amongst men looked upon as the off-scouring of the earth and now at last civilly put to death cast out of their Synagogues and by unjust entence ejected out of that Estate which was thy gift and all this for thy truth and life O blessed Majestie dost not thou behold the naked simplicity and simple innocency of thy servants spirit who to the utmost of his power resigns up his body soul and spirit to follow the righteous Law of Sanctity Purity and Virginity through the mortification of the sences the crucifying of the old man and the casting away of the body of sin in conformity to the cross death and resurrection of Christ that so at length by the supply and vertue of thy spirit there might be an actual conquest attained over sin hel and death O thou Eye of Eternity thou beholdest my will resigned to thine without moving this way or that as to the permanency of or freedom from these sufferings O my God thou knowest I can neither desire the continuing censures and condemnation of the world nor the justification of my person and thy cause from the mouthes of the just though in pure obedience to thy will calling me to it I have addressed my self to the higher Powers that they might be left inexcusable and have by writing exhibited the innocency of that life imbodied in flesh which by the envy and subtilty of Satan hath been so much levelled at and over-clouded by the mists and arrows of wrath and darkness And now I stand resigned in obedience to thy will the true rule of righteousness to continue a publick signe and witness-bearer of Christs sufferings and to be made yet more vile and contemptible for his sake who enduring the Cross and despising the shame now sits enthroned at thy own right hand O omniscient Majestie thou knowest we are neither the better nor the worse for the justification or condemnation of our fellow-creatures there is no satisfaction in man or the things of man therefore the spirit of thy servant flyes to thee like a dove into the true Ark of rest to be caught up into thy eye and to be taken into thy heart and bosom-love for in such union oft lies union of hearts union of wils and union of spirits there is satisfaction only O how my soul groans after this union with thee and presential enjoyment of thee O my God even to feed continually on the tree of life to live in the day and light of thy glory to see and behold the beauties of thy inmost holy habitation to eat yea to banquet on Christs flesh and to drink and that abundantly of his holy bloud to be replenished and drencht throughout with the wine and oyle of the holy Ghost for the full enjoyment of which thy servant shall continually wait upon thee retiring from the broken Cisterns of the Creature to thee the Fountain of all good to whom with thy eternal Son and holy Spirit be rendred of Saints Angels and all creatures glory praise and Halleluiahs for ever Now I have run through the substantials of my Appendix in which I have exhibited the reasons grounds and issue of my appeal the last of which hath been a denial of affording me a re-hearing whence I am forced to appeal to the just Judge of heaven and earth who will certainly render to every one according to his works even reward and honour to the innocent but judgement and disgrace to the guilty and though my adversaries may yet proceed to add iniquity to iniquity even to justifie by writing what they have most unjustly acted against me yet I shall have much peace in my conscience in what I have here done to shew impartially the truth of things however the prejudiced world steere their judgement of me which cannot but be very hard and injurious if they believe that late Named M. L. Register c. Though t is certain he never made the Pamphlet nor Epistle to it Pamphletier who reckons me guilty of Sorcery uncleanness blasphemy c. as though they had been proved against me referring the Reader to the whole proceedings which as he saies are shortly to be made publick Now if we may judge of these by their Praecursor I can expect nothing but such a misrepresenting of the proceedings as M. Ford produced before sentence and to be condemned for what I was accused of and for the horrid things exhibited against me which was the rule of the Commissioners proceedings as the Author of the Praecursor in page 5. expresseth in these words Who were to proceed secundum allegata exhibita as really they did for they gave sentence according to the crimes alleadged and exhibited against me not secundum probata or things legally proved and really by the false reports of some of the Commissioners since And by the bitterness and untruths of the Author of the Praecursor sentence concerning what hath been proved against me I cannot expect any thing better then to be represented guilty of blasphemy sorcery uncleanness Rantism and all things that may seem to make me vile and contemptible and worthy of death or See the Praecursor page 1. in the last notes upon the Epistle and pag. 3 at the latter part banishment But in reference to this I desire only the Reader seriously to weigh the proofs on both sides which have faithfully been transcribed by me from the Depositions together with those other evidences I produced to clear things which the Court would not admit of though in equity they ought to have done it I say I desire these may be seriously weighed together because it is unsuitable to that devoted silent life and way I desire to live in to make rejoinders and frame replies by way of contest and dispute being willing rather to enjoy my God in the retired silence of abstract contemplation and to lie under the reproaches sladers revilings and passionate censures of my adversaries then trouble my spirit with any more things of this nature especially in this time when Christ is entring into a severe Judgement with all Isa 66. 16. Isa 65. 18. flesh and making way for his coming in power and glory to make all things new and cause old things to be no more e remembred JOHN PORDAGE FINIS Reader Whereas by the sides of most Articles in the third Charge it is wrote not proved at all the sense is That nothing was said at all to prove them And further know that my affairs not permitting me to attend the Printing many faults have escaped the most considerable of which thou maist here take notice of ERRATA PAg. 5 r. Punietur l. 15 16. a fine for Government r. Parliament and for Parliament r. Government p. 7. l. 9. dele his l. 5 9. a fine r. Pendarvis p. 11. l. 12. r. the want p. 26. l. 2. r. chap. 3. l. 3. r. Rev. 12. p. 27. l. 8. a fine r. As it is here stated p. 30. l. 1. dele when p. 33. l. 11. for returned r. retired p. 36. r. further time p. 41. in marg d for is r. I am p. 41. l 8. a fine dele were p. 54. l. 6. a fine dele reserve p. 56. l. 7 ab Art 1. r. depose p. 68. l. 8. mid Paragh for word r. world p. 73. marg a r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marg f r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 74. l. 1. r. cloudy p. 77. l. 14. for persecution r. perfection l. 23. del out l 9. a fine for external r. eternal p. 79. l. ult r. your persecutions p. 80. l. 13. r. of by the Prophets l. 23. r. your kingdom p. 88. l. 9. for certified r. rectified p. 91. l. 6. ad fin r. that it is p. 92. l. 2. r and that p. 94. fig. 22. l. 2. r. the first p. 96. in marg del that p. 97. l. 22. r. could not do it p. 102. l. 6. a fine r. accuser p. 101. l. 3. r. know p. 107. l. 25. r. politie is contrived p. 113. l. 28 9. r. union of eyes

before it was heard Hereupon the Chairman commanded Langly the Clerk to read these following Articles in open Court Articles against Dr. Pordage of Bradfield 1. That the fiery Deity of Christ mingles and mixes it self with our flesh 2. That the imputative righteousness of Christ is a sapless righteousness 3. That the discoveries of the sinfulness of sin the terrors of the law the death of Christ the free-grace of God are fleshly and flashy discoveries 4. That the liberty and freedom spoken of purchased by the blood of Christ and applyed by the dinging and cleaving of the soul to is not a liberty or freedom from the guilt of sin the curse of the law the wrath of God but the fiery Deity of Christ in the center of our souls 5. That by Male and Female Gen. 1. we are to understand by Male the Deity by the Female the humanity and that these two became one flesh these things were delivered without any limitation whatsoever 6. That gifts and graces of the Spirit are but flesh 7. That Christ is a Type and but a Type 8. That Christ is not God 9. That Christ is not Jehovah Tickle witnesseth After these Articles were read the Chair-man demanded my answer to whom I replyed That I had been acquitted from all these four years since by the Committee of plundered Ministers and that after a full hearing and debate therefore I desired that according to Law they would pass by these old ones but if they had any that were new told them I was ready and willing to receive and answer them I further replyed I hoped they would give me the liberty of a Felon who after tryall and acquitment cannot be questioned for the same thing again to which Mr. Dunch replyed with much seeming fierceness You are worse then a Felon for ought I know Which language coming from a Judge to the Defendant before tryall let all sober persons judge of who are acquainted with the rules of civility morality or Christianity Here Mr. Hewes the Minister interposed affirming That a Felon might be acquitted at one Assizes and hang for the same thing at the next of which he gave an instance in a story not worth the relating To which I replyed only this That it could not be for the same he was acquitted of before but I seeing that he had gone ultra crepidam beyond his Office and beyond reason said no more to him though he was very bitter and pragmatical speaking oft as Judge although he was but an assistant and that only in reference to ignorance and insufficiency But afterward applying my self to the Chairman I further urged that these Articles were not within the cognizance of the Commissioners in that I had been discharged from them by those who had full power and authority to do it After this all were commanded to withdraw and about an hour after I was called in again and asked for my discharge I answered I came now only to know my Charge and that I had not my Discharge there but would bring it when they would appoint me Then they declared That notwithstanding my Discharge in another Court yet it was the judgement of the Commissioners that they had power to take cognizance of the Articles exhibited whence they made this Order viz. BERKS By the Commissioners for ejecting of Scandalous Ministers c. October 5. 1654. At the Bear in Speenhamland Dr. John Pordage Rector of Bradfield in this County hath in obedience to our Warrant dated the 18 of September last to him directed this day attended and pleadeth that he hath been already discharged from the Articles that are exhibited to us against him by the Parliament and the late Committee of this County and therefore not again to be questioned or proceeded against for the same by these Commissioners But the said Doctor hath produced no such Discharge Resolved upon the Question That by vertue of the Ordinance of his Highness the Lord Protector and his Councel for ejecting of scandalous ignorant and insufficient Ministers and School-Masters The said Commissioners have power to question the said Doctor upon the said Articles and that notwithstanding his Plea as aforesaid of a former Discharge And it is thereupon Ordered That the said Doctor do give his positive answer to the said Articles unto us on this day fortnight being the 19 instant at this place whereof he is not to fail Now this was the substance of the things which were transacted the first day of my appearance which I have here presented in truth and righteousness to the impartial Reader My second appearance before them was the 19 of October at the same place The Commissioners then sitting were these M. Wightwick Chairman M. Danch Mr. Evelyn Mr. Bell Mr. Mils The Ministers Mr. Woodbridg Mr. Fowler Mr. Hughes with some others The first thing they demanded was my Answer to the Articles exhibited against me But I desired them to receive my Discharge which I hoped would be instead of a full and satisfactory Answer So I produced it and it was received by them and delivered to the Clerk who after it was read took a Copy of it and then returned it to me again The Tenor of it was as followeth At the Committee for Plundred Ministers March 27. 1651. VPon hearing the Cause in presence of parties and Councel on both sides concerning Dr. Pordage Minister of Bradfield in the County of Berks And upon reading the Papers and Examinations depending against him before this Committee and full hearing what could be said by both parties This Committee have taken the said Cause into serious consideration and debate and do thereupon Order that the said Cause be dismissed and the same is hereby dismissed GILB MILLINGTON Afterward they asked me how they should know that this was a true Copy I returned answer I received it from their Clerk there present who knew it to be true And besides I had a friend by who being with me when I received it could attest the truth of it by Oath Then they waved my Discharge and called for my particular Answer to the Articles alleadging That notwithstanding the Discharge the Commissioners had judged the Articles under their cognizance So that after I had pressed my Discharge with as much earnestness as in modesty I could they still hastily calling for my further Answer I was necessitated to give in this which followeth My Answer to the Articles exhibited against me consists in these Particulars 1. Partic. I Humbly conceive that none of the Articles exhibited against me are comprehended in the Act Entituled An Act against several Atheistical Blasphemous and execrable Opinions derogatory to the Honour of God and destructive to humane society without the sense and meaning of the words expressed in the Act be stretched and wrested beyond the litteral scope and drift of the Act. And this is not my judgement only but the judgement of some pious and judicious Lawyers of this Land Which thing in

my relating to some that were wise and knowing what I heard from another with much grief to my soul makes me any way culpable or guilty Art 3. That the bloud of Christ was not meritorious of any mans salvation Ans I call heaven and earch to witness that such thoughts never entred into my soul nor did such words ever come out of my mouth For my judgement ever hath been and still is that the bloud of Christ is satisfying reconciling cleansing bloud that it is interceding redeeming meriting bloud in relation to all those who through faith and patience come to inherit eternal life Art 4. That it was a poor thing to live upon the bloud of Christ and fetching it over again in a contemptuous kind of speaking Pish said he thou art a babe thou knowst nothing to live upon the bloud of Christ is a poor thing 1. Part. Ans I acknowledg that about four years since such expressions were uttered by me to one Mrs. Grip but without any such intent as may be supposed by my accusers and not with that circumstantial aggravation of repeating it in a contemptuous manner which is but a supposition of my adversary and cannot be attested by an Oath without this Witness pretends infallibly to know my thoughts and purposes 2. Part. Ans Again this being spoken to a particular person on a particular occasion might be true if the circumstances of the discourse were accordingly added though as here presented it seems very monstrous 3. Part. Ans Therefore to make things clear I shall here insert some particular circumstances which may present this Article though in a new yet true face I coming to Mrs. Grips house she took me into a private room to have some conference with me alone where she brake forth into a violent passion of tears weeping and wringing her hands and pouring sorth bitter complaints and invectives against Mr. Fowler as that he was a graceless man a Lyer a Slanderer not worthy to come up into a Pulpit or to have the name of a Minister of Christ with other such bitter expressions The cause of which was as she then told me Mr. Fowlers reporting about that she then lived in Adultery and after her passion was somewhat allayed she brake forth into these or such like expressions of high assurance Christ hath loved me and dyed for me and justified me by his bloud from all guilt of sin I am an elect person a justified person and what is this Fowler to charge sin upon me These and other expressions fell from her to this purpose from some of which I feared she was drenched with Antinomianism and told her more then once it was a poor thing to live upon the bloud of Christ and to look so much upon that except she had the nature of Christ and the Spirit of Christ asking her where was the meekness of Christ and the patience of Christ to suffer as an innocent lamb quietly but still she crying out she lived on the bloud of Christ I told her it was a poor thing to be thus exalted with notions of the bloud of Christ without mentioning sanctification and those holy graces which flow from Christs nature dwelling in the soul Now by these expressions of mine my scope was to make Mrs. Grip see the necessity of sanctification and of a pure and holy life and not to make void the blessed effect of the bloud of Christ applyed according to the mind of God and the true meaning of the Scripture And now having related the circumstances as near as I can remember I believe a sober and knowing Christian will not judge me either scandalous or ignorant for these expressions Art 5. That one speaking to me of the glorious persons in the Trinity I replyed pish there is no such thing as persons in Trinity 1. Part. Ans I doe here profess and avow from the sincerity of my heart That I believe the Trinity of persons as an Article of my faith viz. That there are three persons distinct from each other the person of the Father the person of the Son the person of the Holy Ghost yet not so as to prejudice the unity in essence and I so believe the unity as not to confound the Trinity of persons 2. Part. Ans I never uttered such expressions in that way as to give any just ground of suspition of my denying the Trinity But I remember about four years since being before the Committee of Berks Mr. Fowler or Mr. Gilbert I remember not which desired the Committee to give them liberty to ask me two or three questions amongst the rest they asked me whether there were three persons in the Deity I answered them I believed the Trinity as it is recorded in 1 John 5 7 There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost Thus you see I believe the Trinity But doe you believe the Trinity of persons said they I replyed I find not the term Persons in the Text but to put you out of doubt I do not stumble at the word Person And this afterward I told to the above-mentioned Mrs. Grip in a private conference some years since to whom I affirmed that I found no such expressions as persons in Trinity in the Scripture and that the word Person being a School-term was very difficult to be apprehended by common capacities but I never spake thus to prejudice the true notion of the persons in the sacred Trinity which I do cordially believe but only to shew that ordinary Christians should not be too curious in prying into that deep mystery of the three persons in the Trinity but rather content themselves with what the Scripture plainly affirms of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as distinct yet one But to conclude this Answer pray consider what hard measure it is thus to pick a broken sentence out of a long discourse and so to accuse one without relating the circumstances which might serve to clear what otherwise may seem very strange to prejudiced persons Art 6. That it was a weakness to be troubled for sin Ans I do not remember that any such expression as this ever dropped from my mouth either publiquely or privately and I am perswaded that none one dare assert it with an oath which if they did would not make much to the purpose for with a charitable qualification it might thus be made forth That 't is a weakness for one to be troubled for sin who hath the assurance of Gods love his sin pardoned his person justified sanctified and his will converted from and crucified to sin for such a one should be triumphing in the power of faith and love enjoying sweet heavenly communion with God and saying O death where is thy sting and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Whereas trouble for sin thus pardoned and mortified may be an engine of Satan

tincture besides that quickning vertue which by them was communicated and insinuated into the spirits of our outward bodies which like a Cordial had been able to have renewed the strength of our languishing nature 4. Our sense or faculty of tasting was very pleasantly entertained with those invisible dews which were sweeter then hony or the hony-comb and therefore deserve to be called the Dews of Heaven with which instead of food we were many times wonderfully refreshed 5. In relation to the sense of spiritual contaction that was also delighted with its heavenly objects for none can utter that pleasing impression which the burning tincture of this Light World afforded us coming like a hot cordial into the center of our spirits being sensibly felt in the inward parts so as to cause much joy and heavenly pleasure which penetrated thorow our souls giving us occasion to bless praise and magnifie the Lord. Thus for the space of three weeks or a month were we exercised inwardly and outwardly thorow that great conflict which was betwixt those two worlds and their inhabitants the dark world sometimes afflicting us with dreadful shapes abominable smells loathsom tastes with other operations of the evil Angels The light world at other times opening and relieving us with odoriferous perfumes most sweet dews glorious visions and Angelical harmony which the Lord favoured us with to shevv his extraordinary love in thus succouring us in extraordinary exercises and tryals Thus much for those tvvo internal vvorlds spread throughout the visible vvorld in vvhich the evil and good Angels are more immediately then in this visible air to vvhich they cannot be commensurate by reason of their spiritual natures each of them abiding in their distinct principle the one sort being in joy the other being in torment the one in light the other in darkness according to the Scripture But besides these tvvo vvorlds vve had an opening of the eternal vvorld called in Scripture the k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 2. 5. vvorld to come from the futurity of its full and clear manifestation and a precursory entrance l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. 19. into the most holy place by a divine transportation into the glory of the Majesty agreeable to that of John 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me c. Here vvere seen heard and selt the unutterable misteries of that kingdom which are not yet to be m 2 Cor. 12. 4. Where it s said that in Paradise Paul heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things or words not to be worded or uttered which it is not lawful for a man to speak divulged in regard of the pride ignorance prejudice and envy of many in the world being reserved for those humble gracious spirits which are waiting in silence for the second coming of the Son of Man Part. 3. But now it is time to come to the third particular which was the effects and impressions left upon our spirits by these wonderful exercises and manifestations After this we began more cleerly to see that straight and narrow way which leads to Life Eternal which we call the Virgin life or the life of purity and righteousness in its perfection being the life of fixed love In any thing short of which The perfection of the Virgin life cannot consist So that meerly to abstain from the concupiscible lustings of Venus under the spirit of this great world is but the life of outward Chastity and but a particular branch of the other For the Virgin life is not attained till the Will of the soul is brought through death to be so passive as to will desire and act nothing but what the Essential essence of love wills moves and acts thorow it for till then the soul cannot be a pure Virgin nor live without all desire lust and imagination which must all cease before the pure life of God can come to be all in all 2. This life of Virginity was placed fore-right as to the inward eye of the minde being that mark of persecution at which we were to aym in our pressing toward the Resurrection of the dead To this Wisdom that eternal virgin Prov. 8. 20. 23. as a leading star invited us calling to follow her in the way of Circumcision Resignation and the Cross in the way of total self-denyal and forsaking of all for her sake in the way of annihilation and conformity to Christs death By which we saw undoubtedly we should come to Christs Resurrection Ascension Glorification and Fixation in the love of the Holy Ghost the third and last dispensation Here we cleerly saw the danger of looking back to the external world and of putting out our imaginations into the inward world or the kingdom of the Dragon or of resting in the openings and delights of the inward light world For by turning back into the delights of the senses we saw the soul would become beastial by turning to the left hand and imagining into the kingdom of the Dragon in awakening the fire of wrath and subtilty divelish and dangerously wicked by turning to the right hand in imagining into and taking too much complacency in the visions illuminations tinctures and Enthusiasms of the light world we saw the soul might become elevated into self-conceit and tinctured with pride and be in danger of neglecting that death of the Cross which is the onely safe path into eternal rest and Fixation Here then we were shewed that the way which lead up to the virginessence The new Jerusalem was strait and narrow as upon the breadth of an hair so that we were to turn no way either on the right or left hand but stand without lust with our eys fixed upon the Being of love pressing forward after fixation in the external house of God there to become immoveable pillars no more to go out but there always to bear the name of God and the name of the City of God which is the new Jerusalem And now for the space of this four years ever since the time of these great manifestations we by the Grace of God have enjoyed the exercise of our spiritual senses which never since have been shut neither ever will be except thorow voluntary transgression and disobedience we apostatise and run back into the earthly nature or turn aside to center in something short of the pure life of virginity which calls us from the external thorow the internal into the Eternal world which is that kingdom prepared for us from the beginning of the world 3. But thirdly after the extraordinary time of Grace and Mercy to us we enjoyed not onely a clear leading convicting light upon our understandings but likewise received from the Lord a stamp and strong impression of power moving our Wills to follow this light through the death of all things to come up into the perfect life and image of

persecuting condemning and ejecting some of Gods precious Saints must unavoidably revolve and bring guilt upon you all because they act from your power and may be strained when you please But whatever you shall hereafter act in reference to this though many cannot but expect either the nulling or limiting the Ordinance by an Appeal I have discharged my conscience in presenting these things to be considered of in reference to your own happiness and the good of others who may by sufferings be concerned in it as also performed my duty as to my own Case in appealing to you and presenting my grievance in expectation of redress but whether the present necessity and justness of my cause did not call for more then a rejection of my due request let all sober Christians and your own consciences judge And I pray God this denial be not laid to your charge in the day of visitation And if you yet persist in the resolutions of granting me no Appeal and giving me wholly up to the oppression and cruelty of my enemies I shall appeal to the great Iudge of men and Angels resigning my self and Family into his hand who I hope will deal more mercifully with you in the time of his Iudgement then you have yet with me and mine in the time of our distress Which is the cordial and sincere desire of Your Servant in the love and under the Cross of Christ JOHN PORDAGE To my Judges the Commissioners and their Assistants the Ministers Gentlemen REmember Christs command Judge not that ye be not judged But ye have judged already and therefore must be your selves judged The same measure you have given me shall once be retaliated to you your selves when their unjust sentence and proceedings come to be weighed in the just ballance of the Lord who hath certainly a great controversie with those who pretend Iustice and call upon his name yet deal unjustly and persecute his nature appearing in his children I shall desire you therefore to forbear your persecutions as much for your own sakes as for those who do and may lye under the scourge of it for they will assuredly draw judgements upon you and cry aloud in the ears of Jehovah for due vengeance You know God did not bring that last and utter desolation upon the Nation of the Iews until they had filled up the measure of their sins by conspiring against and murthering Christ and his Disciples after his death under the pretence of zeal and Gods-service Now what is done to the least of his is done to Christ himself And are not you found doing the same work with those who killed the Prophets and stoned those who were sent to them For as much as in you lay you have slain those who are the annointed of Christ and so have condemned him in his members and overclowded him with all manner of reproaches and railing-accusations Remember the four Kings overthrown by Abraham and was it not because they had led captive one Saint even righteous Lot The Heathen Princes little thought what a prisoner they had they took him in the croud amongst the most wicked of People yet God was so tender of him that he was delivered and they that took him ruined being forced to part with his person and goods which they had unjustly taken away and many of them with their own lives For the Lord knows how to deliver the righteous and reserve the wicked to the day of vengeance O remember this you that drive so furiously against the pure Life of God imbodiea in his Saints Take heed lest this your persecution proves a National sin and brings guilt upon all who thorow mistakes or otherwise permit or countenance it how was Abimelech and his Family punished for his unjust though involuntary prejudicing of Abraham and how had the whole Nation suffered had he not repented and returned Sarah How graciously did God deal with Joseph after the execution of his Brethrens malice in preferring of him and making him a preserver to those who had dealt so cruelly with him And certainly the time is at hand when the Saints who have been judged and condemned for their Testimony to truth as Hereticks and evil doers shall judge the world and possess the kingdom and shall have power over the Nations to execute judgement and righteousness in the earth but I mean not in a fleshly way of force and violence with the material sword but in a spiritual manner by the power and Majesty of Gods Holy Spirit which must destroy Antichrist that man of sin that hath so long sate in the Temple of God as God This day will destroy and break your power by and from which you have unrighteously sentenced me And I may ask you for which of my good works have you condemned me Though I know you are ready to answer me as the Iews did Christ Not for thy good works but because thou art a Blasphemer Was not Christ thus judged as an evil doer though he never committed any evil Was he not condemned as a blasphemer and a Conjurer And was not the Civil and Ecclesiastical powers combined in his condemnation Pontius Pilate and the High Priest with the Scribes and Pharisees consenting to it Though the Magistrate was excited and drawn to it by the Ecclesiastical men and their adherents even as it was now And have you not said to the Civil powers O ye Ministers that it was expedient for me to be civilly put to death by Sentence and Ejectment or else the whole Nation and Tribe might perish and be brought into contempt And have you not followed the steps of your forefathers in thus arguing that if the Magistrate let me alone many would follow me and my Doctrine and so your Ministry and names would be eclipsed and disappear and did you not cry out to the Magistrates that if they let me go they were not Gods nor Caesars friends But you will say to me Do you make your self Christ God forbid I mean not so But this I say that every Saint being a member and so a part of Christ what is done to the least of his is done to him and therefore what you have acted against that life of Innocency purity and simplicity which by the grace of God dwells in me you have acted against the Christ the Son of God And therefore what can be said but that ye are the children and followers of those who killed the Prophets and slew those that were sent to them from God not sparing his onely Begotten Son who came to save them from their sins and transgressions But these persecutions brought judgements and desolations upon the Authors according as the Prophets and Christ himself praedicted and the event shewed and let me tell you to whom I write that if you follow this trade if you persevere in this way of persecution if you thus lay your hands on your fellow-servants and abuse them by scandals reproaches censures Ejectments and illegal

righteousness is called Christs righteousness no other righteousness but the righteousness of Christ can justifie the soul Therefore he is stiled Jer. 23. 6. The Lord our righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ is made unto us wisdom and righteousness that is for our justification This righteousness of Christ in its own nature is an everlasting righteousness Dan. 9. 24. 2 Cor. 5. That we might be made the righteousness of God in being clothed upon with Christs righteousness Phil. 3. 9. We are not to be found in our own self Pharisaical righteousness but in Christs righteousness which is the righteousness of justification And the formal cause of a sinners justification is their union and communion with this righteousness of Christ through faith and believing on it Rom. 10. 6. The righteousness of faith speaketh on this wise c. that is the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith This was also intended to have been given into the Court in writing being transcribed out of three or four note-books compared together and afterward seriously considered and weighed to which the Witnesses could swear with good consciences notwithstanding all those outcries were against this Evidence by some of the Ministers and Commissioners as though I had prescribed what they should swear and that we were all combined to commit a hainous sin and bring the guilt of Perjury upon our selves whereas we all stood in innocency as to this thing having no other end in it but the stable assurance of the truth of what was to be attested by serious reflections upon it after the comparing of divers note-books together which served to help and strengthen the memory of the Witnesses together with the avoiding of the Clerks prevarications in writing by partially taking the Depositions in which we oft found him defective But to conclude this Article I have produced these testimonies to shew my judgement touching Christs righteousness which with the positive Deposition of Mrs. Mary Pocock That I spake that of the imputative righteousness of Christ with a limitation may in justice outweigh the Depositions of the other two Witnesses against me being neither of them are positive and so not effectual in Law or reason Now I shall pass to the third Article To which Mr. Tickle being sworn saith that I delivered That the Newbery Octob. 5. discoveries of the sinfulness of sin the terrors of the Law the death of Christ the free-grace of God are fleshly and flashy discoveries Afterward being cross-examined by me to this Interrogatory Whether this Article was delivered in the same express words and in the same Novemb. 2. order he answered thus That the very sum and substance of this Article was delivered fully and roundly by me and in the express words f He dares not swear syllabically to this but keeps two reserves in the express words for substance for the substance of them and to g To the best of his remembrance which clauses keep him from perjury and this from being a legal testimony in regard it is not positive the best of his remembrance Now I not remembring that ever I said that these were but fleshly and flashy discoveries and knowing that it was but his single testimony and not positively sworn to and so no legal evidence to condemn and besides that it was not comprehended in the Act of Blasphemous Opinions to which the Ordinance refers I passed it by formerly without any answer but now to satisfie knowing Christians concerning my judgement in this particular I shall here present this Answer That I then held forth and do still own it That the discoveries of the sinfulness of sin the terrors of the Law the free grace of God the death of Christ were but preparatory works under the Fathers dispensation to the higher and more powerfull workings of God under the dispensation of the Son in changing and transforming the heart into his Image and so but weak in comparison of the more full and clear manifestations and operations of God upon the soul in bringing it up into divine union and fruition To the fourth Article Mr. Tickle saith that I delivered That the Liberty and freedom spoken Taken Octob. 5 of purchased by the bloud of Christ is not a liberty and freedom from the guilt of sin the curse of the Law the wrath of God but the fiery Deity of Christ in the centre of our souls Mr. Tickle being further examined on this Article by me to this Interrogatory viz. Whether this was delivered first in the same express Novemb. 2. words Secondly and in the same order Answers First The very sum and substance of this Article was delivered fully and roundly by the Doctor Secondly That it was delivered in the express words for the h This is a meer shift to make the evidence seem positive and syllabical though in reality it is not so substance of them To a third Interrogatory proposed by me viz. Whether this Article was thus expressed by me without any addition or diminution of his own He thus answers h This is still no legal evidence to condemn one in Law or reason for his memory might fail as really it did To the best of his remembrance without any limitation addition or diminution of his own But here courteous Reader you must give me leave to shew you Mr. Tickles uncertainty and disagreement with himself in delivering this Article which cannot but make it invalid in the eyes of those that are judicious In his attesting of this Article three several times he never agreed with himself but either diminished or added The first time he sware to this Article he had this clause and applyed by the clinging and cleaving of the soul to Christ as you may see in the first paper of Articles which being sworn again October 5. he left out and neither of these agreed with his own Deposition given under his own hand some four years since to the Committee of Plundered Ministers when it was more flesh in his memory and yet not delivered so fully and positively as now which you may see by his own words taken out of his former Depositions which were these i This was the repeating of some passages in my Sermon though in a mistake as you will see afterward Another preparation was the instating of the soul into a glorious liberty and freedom in these expressions Which liberty and freedom is not that liberty and freedom from the guilt of sin the curse of the Law the wrath of God brought about or in an expression of the same signification by the death and bloud of another and applyed or a word like it by the clinging and cleaving of the soul to Christ Now you may take notice that in the two former this clause was added viz. But the fiery Deity of Christ in the centre of the soul which here is not mentioned Moreover the order is changed and some doubtfull expressions are inserted which shewed

to make a soul question Gods love and to bring it out of a blessed spiritual enjoyment of God into slavish fear and disturbance Art 7. That he might say any thing to the men of the world 1. Part. Ans I answer to the best of my remembrance I never uttered any such unchristian Maxim much less ever held it as my judgement and I confidently believe there is no one on the earth that dare witness it with an Oath 2 Part. Ans I know very well that Mr. Fowler hath been if not the author yet the reporter of my holding this monstrous Tenent for he hath confidently averred and often insinuated into some of the Gentry of this County and into his own Proselytes that I am a Familist and that it is my principle to say or unsay any thing that may make to my own advantage which God knows is a sad scandal and a monstrous untruth and clearly appears to those who know the integrity of my Principles and conversation to be a blur cast upon me from the contrivance of subtile Machiavillian Policy to prejudice all I say or answer to those horrid things objected against me For if this be once setled in those who are my Judges it is vain for me to answer deny or avow any thing But the Lord forgive my adversary for this his unchristian dealing and grant he may repent of it before he comes to give up his last account before the great Tribunal of Christ Art 8. That I asserted I knew nothing to the contrary but that a man might company with more then one woman being taxed for keeping carnal company with a woman in London Ans I never kept scandalous company with any woman in London neither was I ever taxed for any such thing except once by Mistriss Grip who I believe is the Witnesse against me and that upon this occasion At the time I had my former conference with her the heat of her passion being over she told me that I was also taxed for keeping of carnal company with a woman in London I replyed I am a man born to all kind of sufferings and told her that she saw and knew the manner of my conversation asking her whether she believed it and she answered No truely and then I solemnly protested the contrary And this was all the taxing I ever had from any one at which time I was earnest with Mrs. Grip to discover to me from whom she heard it but she put me off telling me she did not believe it and that she would tell me some other time But from that long discourse I had with her fearing as I said before she was deeply tinctured with the Principles of Antinomianism and not knowing whether she might not be tainted with some notions of Rantism which at that time were every where frequently discourst of I took this occasion to try her telling her as near as I remember that there were som that affirm'd they knew nothing to the contrary but that a man might company with more then one woman but to speak the truth she let it fall without seeming to approve of any such thing And this I solemnly avow to be the truth as near as I can remember And I believe Mrs. Grip dare not swear that I maintained any such thing as my judgement or produced one Scripture or Argument to defend it I profess to the whole world in the presence of that eye that seeth through all hearts that all such loose principles which turn the grace of God into wantonness and that run opposite to the Laws of Morality Civility Modesty and Sobriety or that any waies indulge wantonness and lasciviousness are as inconsistent with my Principles as heaven and hell light and darkness are opposite one to another which will one day clearly appear to the world whatever I am now thought of Art 9. That he hath frequent and familiar converse with Angels Ans As this Article is presented in general terms without expressing whether the Communion be visible or invisible I do not see how it can touch me though my enemies were my Judges because every true Christian hath frequent communion or converse with Angels as you may see solidly and clearly proved from Scripture by the Lord Lawrence one very learned and pious now President of the Lord Protectors Councel in his Book Entituled Our Communion and Warr with Angels Art 10 11 12 13. Concerning the Vision of a Dragon and the Apparition of Spirits Ans 1. I may deny these four Articles as they are taken together and expressed in those terms and in that manner in which they are set down in my accusation for I believe none dare swear the measures and teeth of the Dragon with the appearance of my own Angel c. without the crime of perjury Ans 2. I will not confess any Apparitions in particular till they be proved lest I should seem to accuse my self they being brought in as a crime against me and as instruments to condemn me Yet in general I acknowledge that some four years since there were many strange and wonderfull apparitions seen in my house But what can these in justice amount to though attested by oath and confessed particularly by my self when brought before those who profess themselves Christians and acquainted with the History of the holy Scriptures Pray was not Iob a pious sincere and eminent righteous man yet how was he scared with Dreams and terrified through Visions cap. 7. v. 14. Did not Zachariah the Prophet Rev. 3. see Satan standing at the right hand of Iostuah to resist him Did not Iohn ver 12. in a vision behold a great red Dragon that made Warr against Michael and the holy Angels And was not Christ himself tempted of the Devil by voyce and visions Mat. 4. 6. 8. Now the servant is not greater then the Lord Iohn 15. 20. and therefore not exempted from the like attempts of the Devil I beseech you consider whether this earth be not the place where the Devil walks up and down seeking whom he may devour How then can Bradfield or any other place be exempted from his appearing when God permits and may not all this be for the manifesting of his Glory Goodness and Power And who can tell whose Family may be next exposed by Gods permission to be tryed and proved by the representations of Satan And I desire you seriously to consider how any such apparitions raised by the Devil and permitted by God for his own glory argue me either scandalous ignorant or insufficient Surely it rather argues that he hath blest me with a strong faith in that he permitted such great tryals and made me instrumental to overcome them by prayer and fasting If it can be proved that I ever so much as looked toward the unlawfull Art of Black Magick or that any evil Spirits were raised up by any compact of mine explicite or implicite or that those evil apparitions were subdued and overcome by